For the Christian, knowledge implies a relationship. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” John 10:14. He also told His disciples, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8:32. By contrast, Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews, “You do not know [my Father]”. Therefore, to know Christ is to have faith in Him, to follow Him, to have a relationship with Him, to love and be loved by Him.
Over the years I think that most peoples, beliefs do not rest on a power to perceive, what is not evident with the average mind. My song,” a Spiritualdiscernment” is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. It is indispensable to having wisdom. But the Old Testament bears witness to the fall from knowledge. Countless, truthful and faithful people have been mistakenly led to believe that it is utterly impossible for a child of God to fall from the grace of God. Early in the Bible we read about people continuing to worship God after the fall into sin (Cain and Abel Genesis 4:1-5, Noah, Genesis 6:7-10; Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18-20)
You see as we look at creation, we should recognize the beauty of its order and our responses are ones of sincere worship for the creator. But because of our sinful nature we make up our own religion, ignore God’s order, abuse ourselves and our neighbors; revealing that we have not read the obvious truths of God in the order of the universe. Truth ignored today with excuse’s?
Jesus taught that some would receive the word with joy and believe for a while, but in a time of testing would fall away (Lk. 8:13). He announced that some branches — disciples — would be pruned from Him — as the vine — and be burned (Jn. 15:1-6).
Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” What was it that Israel did not know, and why was that lack of knowledge so dangerous?
It’s important to note the structure of the verse: “rejected knowledge” is parallel to “forgotten the law.” This fits the context of the opening verse of the chapter, which states that Israel failed to acknowledge the LORD as their God (Hosea 4:1). The people did not simply lack knowledge; they actively rejected it. Humm, which emphasizes Israel’s lack of knowledge was not mere ignorance, but active sin against God. Do we continue to do that today?
I remember as an immature Christian making a superhero of some of my prominent Christian family members, friends, leaders, elders, or even pastors; remembering as I entered the church, thinking, laboring under the delusion, that I had arrived in heaven already! Boy was I wrong.It was a tremendous shock when this tender young sinner myself, on this faith journey as a milk toast saint, to learn that not everyone in the Lord’s church is honest and good; not prepared for the perception of reality!All people are utterly corrupt and “without excuse” before God’s judgment (Genesis 6:5; Romans 1:20) “There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing disloyalty; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.” The people were only ignorant of the Law because they actively ignored it.
I for one idealize that person to the point of near perfection. To many times my hero failed, it destroyed the faith of the one who I admired and put doubt in my trust for God. I needed to seek that knowledge of the Lamb and the worthy of “His” name.
It certainly is not sinful to have great respect and confidence in good colleagues and family. But in the final analysis, one’s trust must be in God Almighty and in His Son, Jesus Christ! They will never do wrong. They will never disappoint us (Heb. 13:5). As we join Jesus on his missions, is to follow Christ’s call:helping a believer believe, think, sharing the gospel with the lost world through God’s wisdom and strength.
The Bible commands us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together but to use that time for encouraging one another in love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). It tells us to confess our faults to one another James 5:16). In the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, we are told that as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17). There is strength in numbers (Ecclesiastes 4:11-12).
The coming of Jesus Christ illustrates God’s love to the fullest degree. Jesus died for the sins of all people, offering every person the opportunity to come to faith in Him John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9. To those who do believe, Jesus is “wisdom from God” 1 Corinthians 1:30. Because of Christ, there is no need for anyone ever again to be “destroyed from a lack of knowledge.”
Surely, it is to the advantage of all of us to learn those areas of weakness which can precipitate apostasy.
Not a single person is beyond the possibility of falling (1 Cor. 10:12). We must be diligent to support our souls against failing the grace of God. And we must learn to give back in assisting each other on the road to heaven.
That is why as Christian we must do to develop spiritually discernment. We must know the authentic so well that, when the false appears, we can recognize it. By knowing and obeying the Word of God, we will be “trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” We will know God’s character and will. This is the heart of spiritual discernment – being able to distinguish the voice of the world from the voice of God, to have a sense that “this is right” or “this is wrong.” Spiritual discernment fends off temptation and allows us to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good” Romans 12-9.
God strengthen us to this end.
God Bless You and This Ministry!
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